Wiress wordlessly held out her arm when the doctor came to inject her tracker. Tears came to her eyes as the windows of the hovercraft were darkened. Terrance finished the meat, cheese, and fruit on his plate. "Ok. I'm full." Terrance announced. "C'mon, Wiress. Get two plates down you."
"Ok." Wiress whispered. She got some more food and began to eat. After a few minutes she pushed her plate away, put her elbows on the table, buried her face in her hands, and began to cry.
"Wiress?" Terrance asked concerned. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I - I'm nervous too."
"I - I might - never - see him - again -" Wiress sobbed.
"You will." Terrance said. "Just keep focusing. He'll be watching us in the arena."
"I - I know - but - it's not the same." Wiress sniffled. Terrance nodded. "How - How are you holding up?"
"Ok. I guess." Terrance said. "I figure if the worst happens, I'll see my sister again." He smiled. "I'm going to give my best. And I know you will too. I was feeling a bit nervous, but I think talking helps."
"Maybe you can eat more food." She shoved her plate over to him and they split the contents. They finished their glasses of water as the hovercraft landed. They shook hands.
"See you soon." They said to each other.
"60...59...58...57..." Wiress stood on her plate. The cornocupia was in a field surrounded by forest. Terrance was three people to her left. Their plan was to grab some items at the perimeter and run. Wiress sighed. Even if the main cameras weren't on her, she knew Beetee's was. Beetee, She mouthed. I love you. She smiled knowing Beetee was watching her from the mentor room. I love you. "Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one...Ladies and Gentelmen, let the 54th Hunger Games Begin!" The gong sounded and Wiress grabbed a small backpack and a pocket-knife. Terrance made out with another pack and something else. They both ran to the woods as fast as they could.
"Good job, honey, good job!" Beetee whispered through his tears. Watching her mouth the words, I love you nearly made him break down sobbing even before the games had even started. He watched them walk through the forest. They found the stream that was next to another field. Beetee flicked the screen of his tablet that had each tribute's readings from their tracker, their sponsorship money, and a map of the arena with the locations of the other tributes. He looked at the map. The forest would end revealing their position on top of a large round mountain.
"I haven't heard anyone." Terrance said.
"We should move." Wiress said. "I - I think the others might try and find the creek too." Terrance nodded. She got up and they walked to where the mountain began sloping down.
"Wait -" Terrance said. Wiress's eyes went wide with fear as Terrance looked around. He pointed to a tree and they started climbing. No sooner than they had reached the denser branches, a girl who looked about fourteen ran to the creek. She was quickly followed by two Careers. Terrance clapped a hand over Wiress' mouth to keep her from screaming.
"Why hello, Seven." A tall muscular boy taunted. "Feeling rather at home in the woods?"
"Probably more so than you. I suppose you'd feel more at home if you were grubbing around trying to find jewels in the dirt." The girl retorted. The boy's district partner grabbed her around the throat.
"Care to say that again?" She snarled in the other girl's ear. Terrance grasped a small knife and aimed it.
"Use this." Wiress whispered. "As a slingshot type device." She pulled at one of the branches. Terrance nodded. "Who are we aiming for?" Terrance pointed to the girl.
"Oh god - kids - what do you think you're doing -" Beetee gasped watching his two tributes on the large screen in front of them. They were also being broadcasted to the rest of Panem. He looked at the large screen that dominated one wall of the mentor room. He knew if they acted too slowly, they could wind up being easy targets. He looked at the map
"No! Let me go! I promise I won't hurt you!" The girl from Seven said beginning to panic as the other girl tightened her grip around her neck as the boy pulled a hatchet out of his backpack.
"You know what this is, don't you?" Terrance shifted and let the knife fly through the air. The boy dropped the hatchet as the knife pierced his chest. Wiress grabbed a stone she had found and launched it at the girl holding Seven by her neck. The stone hit the girl in the side of the head. She gave the fourteen year-old's neck a sickening twist before she fell to the ground. Wiress and Terrance jumped down from the tree.
"Oh - crap -" Terrance gasped. The District 1 girl was clearly unconscious. Her district partner was coughing up blood. He staggered to his feet and grasped the hatchet.
"Terrance - run." Wiress said.
"Wiress -" She pushed him and he began running. Wiress pulled out her pocket knife. The boy threw the hatchet. His aim was off as he had a coughing fit in the middle of gauging his aim. She came over to him as he fell forward. He cried out as the kinfe was driven deeper into his chest.
"I can't - breathe - " He groaned. He grunted in pain before coughing up more blood. Wiress helped him roll onto his side. "How - much - longer?" He asked. Wiress saw the pleading look in his eyes.
"Do you - do you want me - I can end it." The boy coughed up more blood and froth. "What's your name?" She asked suddenly.
"Jared."
"Hold my hand, Jared." Wiress said. "Who - who do you want to talk to? From home?"
"Mom - dad - Gina -" He coughed and groaned. Wiress let go of his hand to feel for a pulse in his neck. She quickly made a deep cut over the vessels and held his hand again until his cannon fired. She grabbed his hatchet as well as his partner's knife. Wiress realized she was still unconscious. She felt bad, but she took her backpack anyway before running off to find Terrance.
"There you are!" Terrance gasped as Wiress ran toward him. He gasped seeing her shirt and hands covered in blood. "What happened?" He yelped. She shook her head.
"I - I - I'm here. That's all." Wiress stammered. She tossed the extra backpack to Terrance. She looked around and sat on the ground.
"I had to do something. That girl - she - she reminded me of - my sister." Terrance said. Wiress nodded. They watched the hovercraft pick up Jared and the girl from Seven. "We have to keep moving, Wiress. The other Careers are going to look for them. Wiress nodded.
Terrance and Wiress didn't run into anyone else as the day drew on. They quickly realized they were on a mountain of some sort and found an area to set up camp. They went through their supplies and found some food as well as a first-aid kit and the knives and hatchet. "Set up traps?" Terrance asked.
"Ok." Wiress said. "Um - could - you?" She asked as the memory of Jared's death overpowered her brain.
"Sure." Terrance said. Wiress sat against a tree and looked out at the landscape. Her mind wandered to Beetee.
"Beetee?" She said softly. "I - " She looked at her hands still bloodstained. She held them up. "Look at my hands. Do - do you still love me - with these hands?" Tears came down her face. "You know what this feels like." She whispered. "I - I wish you were here with me. I - I want to come home to you. I do - I - I just hate - this." She gestured to her hands again. "I love you." She curled up and took a bit of a nap knowing Terrance was nearby.